Lighting fixture



Tian. g, 193%. A. l.. ARENBERQ LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed July 20, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet "J,

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j. HY, 193. A. L. ARENBr-:RG l LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed July 20, 1935 s sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 11, 1938 Seli STATES 2,105,447 `Lion'isnms mxrums Albert L. Arenberg,

corporation oi' Illinois Highland rai-k, m., assignor to Patent License Corporation,

Chicago, Ill., a

Application July 20, 1936, Serial No.` 91,493 11 claims. ici. 24o-7.35)

` This invention has to do with lighting fixtures for railway cars and other passenger vehicles, and is particularly concerned with lighting fixtures of the type adapted to extend continuously along both sides oi the ceiling of a car above the seats.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved lighting fixture in which a row of transversely disposed Slat-like louvers is utilized to produce an effective distribution of light. i

Another object of the invention is to provide in such a fixture an arrangement of the lamp bulbs which will furnish direct illumination for l5 the reading areas at the seats and indirect illumination for the aisle between the rows of seats, all without any glare to vthe passengers either when sitting or standing and without the formation of anyy noticeable shadows.

Another object is to provide a strong, light, compact and inexpensive fixture, which is easy to open up for cleaning and renewal of the lamps, and which adds materially to the appearance of the interior of the car.

While the new xture will ordinarily 'be made up so as to extend without interruption from substantially one end of the car to the' other, it may of course be constructed in shorter longitudinally separated sections if desired. g

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and arrangement of the parts of which the fixture is composed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention and four modiiications thereof are presented herein for the purpose of exemplification, but it will. of course be appreciated that the invention is capable of being incorporated in still other structurally modified forms coming equally within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. l

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one end of thek new fixture;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the fixture, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the xture, looking upwardly at the under side of the same;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the removablelouver sections;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through one side of a modied form of the fixture;

Fig. 6 is a similar section, showing another4 55 modified form; v 4

Fig. 'I shows another modification; and

Fig. 8 shows still another modification.

The newixture is particularly well suited for application to a streamlined railway car. In the car structure shown in Fig. l2 of the drawings the raised deck portion IU of the' ceiling of the car is practically as wide as the car and terminates but a short distance from the side Il. A recess I2 is provided in the ceiling near the side for the reception of the lighting xture, and from this recess the ceiling curves upwardly to the center of the top of the car above the aisle between the seats.

The lighting fixture opening trough which is characterized by a reflector I3 and a face plate I4. The reflector is located along one side only of the trough and is curved transversely through approximatelyl a quarter of'a circle, with its upper Aedge attached to vthe ceiling where the latter starts upwardly and with its lower edge attached to a channel member I5. The face plate I4 is located along the aisle side of the trough, opposite the reector, with the upper edge of the face plate spaced horizontally from the upper edge ofthe reector so as to leave an opening I6 in the top of the trough, and with the lower edge of the face plate set inwardly somewhat with respect to the upper edge. The lower edge of the face plate is turned inwardly and upwardly to form a small ledge I1, and this ledge, together with the iiange I8 which extends inwardly from the face plate, forms a channel member in opposition to the channel member l5.

The reflector I3 and the face plate I4 are supported on transverse brackets 20 which are located at regular intervals longitudinally of the fixture. These brackets follow the contour of the reflector from the channel member I5 to' the upper edge of the reector and then dip downwardly and extend across to the face plate I4;

over the top of the iiange I8 and upwardly against the inside of the face plate, the reiiector and face plate being secured to the brackets at suitable points by means of screws.

Lamp bulbs 2I are positioned in the trough between the brackets 20. The bulbs project into the trough through openings 22 in the rei-lector I3 and are mounted in sockets 23 which are supported in adapters 24 secured to the back of the reector. The wiring 25 for the sockets is located in the recess I2 behind the reector.

The lower open-face of the trough is spanned by a large number` of closely arranged louver j strips 26 which are disposed in planes at right u includes a downwardlyv angles to the axis of the trough. These louver strips are removable except for single louver strips 2l which are located directly below the brackets The single strips 2l are stationary and the ends of the same are secured in the channel members I5 and I9. The removable strips 25 between the stationary strips `are grouped into rigid grid-like sections Ztl, with the ends of the strips in eaohof the sections attached to longitudinally extending bars 29 and 39. All of the strips preferably have their ends at the face plate ilared, so that the ends of the slots between the strips are rounded. This not 4 only enhances the appearance of the xture as a whole but greatly facilitates cleaning.

The louver sections 28 t snugly between the single separating louver strips 2l, and all of the strips lare so uniformly spaced and matched as to make the strips in the removable sections practically indistinguishable from the stationary strips on casual inspection. The connecting bars 29 and 3d for the strips in the removable sections t respectively into the channel members I5 and I9 and arel held down against the lower flanges of the channel members by means of leaf springs 3| on the upper edges ofthe bars, which springs bear against the upper flanges of the channel members. i

To remove any of the louver sections from the trough, it is merely necessary to raise one side of thev section far-enough against the yielding resistance'of the springs at that side to allow a groove 32 in the bar 29 to clear the edge of `vthe lower flange of the channel member I5,

whereupon the vraised edge of the section can be shifted far enough into the channel member to allow the .opposite edge of the section to clear the channel member.l I9. Assoon as this has been done the louver sectionv can be slipped out without any dilculty. vTo replace the section, this procedure is of course reversed. The position ofthe section when being removed or replaced'is shown in' dotted lines in Fig. 2.

, fthe cai:` are preferably reduced in vertical extent-by having theirflower edges curved upwardly at '33, whereby to prevent the formation of any noticeable shadows on the side of the car.

v4strips,=wl1ich strips prevent any glare from the` The-arrangement of the reiiector I 3, face plate I4, opening I 6 and louver strips 26 with respect tothe lamp bulbs 2| is such as to produce an effective distribution of light. The seats along the side of the car beneath the lighting fixture and I the .reading areas about the seats receive direct illumination from .the bulbs through the louver bulbs by shielding thellatter from sight inthe normal range oi'v` vision of a person looking lengthalso ' the aisle.'

' ofthe car through the gap I6, whichl results in indirect illumination of the aisle. .The narrowed end portions 33 of the louver strips permit direct l' illumination ofthe side oi the car without allowi ing. the louver strips to cast any noticeable shadows thereon, but if such illumination is not deslred these end portions of the strips can of course be easily blanked oi by meansV of a longitudinally extending baille strip of any suitable description. 'I'he upper portion of the inner surface oi' the face plate I4 serves as a reilector for increasing e ends o'f-the louver strips nearest the side the illtlminationlof the ceiling immeamasar course serves to direct the light rays from the bulbs both downwardly and outwardly at an angle, whereby to yprovide a rather wide distribution of the direct lighting from the side of the 5 car right up to the usual location of the center aisle.

In the modification which is shown in Fig. 5 a small longitudinally extending baille plate 34 is positioned below the face plate I4 in spaced relation to the lower edge of the latter. This baiile plate is curved transversely and its concave upper surface 35 acts as a reflector for indirectly illuminating the ornamented outer surface of the face plate and the ceiling from the lamp bulbs in bach. of the face plate.

In the modication which is shown in Fig. 6 the face plate d is somewhat dierent in con,- struction and vfunction. It is not spaced from v the reflector 3l at its upper edgebut is arranged in a vertical position and is provided in its upper portionl with a panel S of translucent material, through which panel the ceiling of the car is softly illuminated. Inthis particular xture the reflector 3l curves downwardly at 39 on the aisle side of the lamp bulbs 4I), whereby to rather strongly illuminate the upper portion ofthe side of 'the car. This feature is especially advanta-l geous if the llighting fixture' is used in a street the face plate 43 extends upto the side of the ceiling-44,. without any spacing therebetween and without .the addition of any glass panel; The outerl surface of the panel 43 is indirectly illuminated by means of a baiile plate 45 which is `spaced from the faceplate and forms a shield over openings 46 inthe face plate. Through these openings light rays fromthe bulbs behind the face plate reiiectagainst the rear surface of the baille l plate 45 andilluminate the upper and lower portions of.the frontv surface of the face plate.

In'the-modiflcation which is shown in Fig. 8 the louver construction is diierent. All of the 5o louvers are sheet metal stampings 41 which are secured together in spaced relation on tie rods 48 and 49.' The louvers with their tie rods are l grouped into longitudinally abutting units, and each of the units is held u p in position against 5 the'bottom of the light'trough 5I! by means of vhanger bolts 5I which screw into cross members 52. AThe ends of the louvers at the aisle side of the xture are capped by a sheet metal face plate 53; which plate hooks over the ends of the louvers in a groove 54 formed in the latter and is held in position by tongues 55 which extend inwardly at intervals to the tie rod 48. The upper edge of the face plate B3 is. preferably spaced from the adjacent portion 56 of the ceiling, whereby to permit light rays from the lamp-bulbs to be reflected against the inside surface of the face plate 'onto the ceiling.

I claim:-

1. In a car lighting ilxture, a longitudinally extending trough characterized by a transversely curved downwardly directed reflector and a vertically disposed face plate -in the form of a translucent panel along one side of the reflector, lamp bulbs in the trough. and closely spaced 75 which extend across the open face of the trough .of the trough from the face plate in planes at right angles to the axis' of the trough.

2. In a lighting iixture, a trough characterized by a transversely curved reflector and a face plate along one side of the reectonlamp bulbs in the trough, and closely spaced louver strips from the face plate in planes at right angles to the. axis of the trough, said louver strips being detachably secured to the trough in groups loi several which are removable as units, and said removable units being separated from each other by single xed louver strips which form transverse reinforcements for the trough.

3. In a lighting ixture, a trough characterized by a transversely curved reflector and a face plate along one side of the reflector, transverse brackets for supporting the face plate relative to the reector, lamp bulbs mounted in the trough between the brackets, single transverse louver strips which extend across the trough beneath the brackets, ledges at the edges of the trough, and rectangular grids composed of closely arranged transverse lover strips removably mounted on the ledges in the spaces present between the single louver strips.

4. In a lighting xture, a trough characterized by a reector, lamp bulbs in the trough, grooves along the sides of the trough, and closely spaced louver strips which extend across the open face of the trough in planes at right angles to the axis of the latter, said louver stripsbeing formed into units, which units are removably'mounted in the grooves. l

5. In a lighting nxture, a trough for application to the ceiling of a railway car or other passenger vehicle at one side of the center aisle. close to the side wall above the seats at that side, said trough being characterized by a transversely curved downwardly and laterally directed reflector and a face plate along the aisle side of the reilector, lamp bulbs in the trough, and closely spaced louver strips which extend across the open face of the trough from the face plate in planes at right angles to the axis of the trough,

ceiling from the bulbs.

said face plate beingspaced from the adjacentv edge of the reector, said louver strips being cut away along their lower Vedges near the side wall of the car, and said bulbs being so located as to cast light rays downwardly through the louvers onto the seat areas, laterally through the cut-away portions oi the louvers onto the side wall, and upwardly through the gap be een the face plate and the reflector onto the c ing above the aisle.

6; In a lighting xture, a trough characterized by. a transversely curved downwardly and laterally directed reflector and a` face plate which isspaced from the edge of the reector to provide a gap therebetween, lamp bulbs in the trough, horizontally disposed light-transmitting panels arranged across the open face oi the trough betweenthe lower edge oi the face plate and the lower edge of the reector, and a bame plate associated with the tace plate for permitting indirect illumination of the latter and th 1.In a lighting iixture, atrough characterised by a transversely curved downwardly and laterally directed renector and a face plate which is spaced from the edge oi.' the reiiector to provide a gap therebetween, lamp bulbs in the trough, horizontally disposed light-transmitting panels arranged across the open face of the trough between the lower edge of the iace plate and the lower edge of the reilector, and a baille plate associated with the face plate for permitting indirect illumination oi the latter from the bulbs, said baille plate being positioned beneath the tace plate in spaced relation to theV lower edge ci the latter.

8. `In a lighting fixture, a trough for application to the ceiling of a railway car or other passenger vehicle at one side oi the center aisle above the seats at that side, said trough being characterized by a transversely curved downwardly directed reflector and a face plate in the form of a translucent panel along one side of the reflector, lamp bulbs in the trough, and closely spaced louver strips which extend across the open face of the trough at right angles to the axis of the trough, the position oi the bulbs with respect tothe lower side edges of the face place and reflector being such as to give unsymmetrilcal light distribution with a sharp cut-of! angle on the side toward the aisle to prevent glare in passengers eyes across the aisle and with a wider cut-ofi angle on the side toward the wall to illuminate the wall and any advertising matter thereon. 4

v 9..In a lighting ilxture, a trough for application to the ceiling of a railway car or other passenger vehicle at one side of the center aisle above then seats at that side, said trough being characterized by a transversely curved downwardly directed reflector, lamp bulbs in the trough, and lclosely spaced louver strips which extend across the open face ofe the trough at right angles to the axis of the trough, the position of the bulbs with respect to the side edges of the trough being such as to. give unsymnietrical light distribution with a sharp cut-on angle ter thereon, said trough being provided in the aisle side thereof with a translucent panel for illuminating the ceiling above the aisle. 10. In a lighting xture, a' trough character- 'ized by a reilector, lainp bulbs in the-trough,

and'closely spaced louver strips which extend across the open face of the trough in planes at right angles to the axis oi the latter, the sides-- of the strips at corresponding ends thereof beingflared outwardly toward each other to provide rounded vends to the slots present between the strips.

11. In a lighting fixture, a trough characterized by a reilector, -lamp bulbs in the trough, and closelyl spaced louver strips which extend ALBERT L. ARENBERG.

4across the open face of the trough in planes at 

